Declaring a SAC Major

In order to declare your major/minor, you MUST attend the fall declaration event. The date will be announced early fall term.

In order to declare the Screen Arts & Cultures (SAC) major, after you have successfully completed the required prerequisite courses, with a grade of C- or higher, you must attend one of the biannual SAC major declaration events.

The Declaration Process

Your SAC advisor will discuss the SAC curriculum with you and help you to think about future class elections.  

When you declare, you will also become part of the SAC undergraduate e-mail list, through which you will receive important messages from the Department, including notices about upcoming events, speakers, screenings, etc.  Please read these e-mails as they contain important information.

Your advisor can provide handouts that contain information for obtaining credit for internships, transfer credit, and SAC Honors.  These handouts are also available in the hanging file located outside the reception area of the SAC Main Office, 6330 North Quad.  

As a Screen Arts & Cultures Major

You should plan to meet with an advisor every term to discuss your course elections.  Be aware that some required core courses are offered only once per year, and not every term.  Don’t assume that courses outside of the Department of Screen Arts & Cultures, which include film or other media, will also fulfill requirements for the SAC major.  Courses outside the SAC unit will be considered on a case-by-case basis.  The Department of Screen Arts & Cultures does not require cognates from outside the unit and encourages students to take courses from the offerings within Screen Arts & Cultures.

A grade of C- or better must be achieved in any course taken to satisfy the major requirements.

Important Items to Note

STUDENTS ARE ADVISED NOT TO ATTEMPT TO TAKE MORE THAN ONE PRODUCTION OR WRITING CLASS IN ANY PARTICULAR SEMESTER.

Internships:

The Department of Screen Arts & Cultures offers internship credits to SAC majors ONLY.

Credits earned for internships do not count toward major requirements; they are counted as LSA credit only.  (Information for students seeking internships is covered in a separate handout available from the SAC office).  

Independent Study:

Independent student credit is reserved for advanced students who have exhausted other regular course offerings in the area in which they intend to undertake independent work.  Independent study must be arranged in close consultation with the faculty supervisor and must be approved by the Department Chair or Associate Chair.  Credits for independent study count as LSA credit only, and can not be used in place of a required course or elective.

Honors:

During the second semester of your junior year, you may apply for HONORS in the Department of Screen Arts & Cultures, provided you meet the grade point standards within the major.  (To be considered for the Honors program, you must have a grade point average of 3.5 or higher in the SAC studies concentration).  The SAC Honors program gives a SAC student the opportunity to submit a proposal for a honors thesis project which can take the form of an academic written thesis, a screenplay, film, video, television, or digital production.  If selected, the honors thesis project will be a rigorous year-long creative work experience for the SAC student.  For details and specifics, go to SAC Honors Program.

Major Release and Senior Audit

TWO terms prior to the term you wish to graduate, you must meet with a SAC major advisor to complete your senior audit.  You and your advisor will complete an online major release signifying that you have completed all requirements towards the SAC major.  Once your advisor enters the major release online in your student file, it is able to be accessed by the LSA academic auditors.  The auditors will use this information to ensure that all requirements have been met within both LSA and your major once you apply for graduation.

Additional Help

Sweetland Writing Center – for help in writing papers and other writing concerns.  The center is located at 1310 North Quad.  

The Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) – offers crisis counseling free of charge to currently enrolled students.  They also offer 45-minute workshops three times each semester, including workshops in developing better study skills, time management and procrastination, stress, test anxiety, and preparing for and taking tests.  These services are confidential and free to currently enrolled students.  The office is located on the third floor of the Michigan Union.  

Film and Video Student Association – conducts peer-advising sessions at their office in the Michigan Union each term.  Meetings are also held in the SAC Conference Room once a week.